


42. Window-shopping

by alley_oops, jennandanica



Series: Citadel: Luke Evans and Alex Skarsgard [42]
Category: Actor RPF, Citadel (Journalfen RPG), True Blood RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-02
Updated: 2008-11-02
Packaged: 2018-01-01 13:58:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1044775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alley_oops/pseuds/alley_oops, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica





	42. Window-shopping

Alex Skarsgard & [](http://www.journalfen.net/users/citadel_luke/profile)[](http://www.journalfen.net/users/citadel_luke/)**citadel_luke** Evans: Window-shopping  
[took place in January, 2012; the boys spend Luke's day off walking around downtown Wellington]

 

"Nah, I always just choose something dark and conservative," Alex says with a shake of his head. "I'm forever pissing off the stylists because I won't let them put me in anything brighter than navy blue for a premiere or whatever. And I like traditional suits." He shoots a sidelong grin at his lover as they walk through Wellington's downtown shopping district. "And this is why I'm not the one making GQ's best-dressed list. Too boring."

Luke snorts and playfully rolls his eyes. "Boring is about the very last word I would ever use to describe you. Or your clothes," he says, nudging Alex with his shoulder. "You always look hot. That's the thing. You could wear a garbage bag and it would make all the other guys look like crap."

"Mmm, but then you could walk out there naked and put me to shame," Alex replies, grinning and very nearly leaning in close enough for a kiss. It feels so damn good being out in public with Luke, relaxed. Flirting in the wide open and the sunshine, like they've got nothing to worry about. New Zealand seems like the other side of the world from Los Angeles and its celeb-hungry insanity.

"Flatterer," Luke teases but secretly he's so pleased. So in love with this man and he's sure anyone looking can tell. That he's a completely open book when it comes to his feelings for Alex. "Make sure you say something if you want to go in somewhere."

"I was thinking there," Alex says, pointing to a boutique across the way. They're definitely getting into the ritziest part of the shopping district, if the Diesel shop is any indication. He checks for oncoming traffic and then crosses the street to study the window display. "Your ass would look fucking phenomenal in those," he tells his lover, pointing at a mannequin. Of course Luke looks fantastic all the time, but in a well-cut pair of jeans... _Damn_.

Luke grins. "Do you want me to try them on, or we sticking to window-shopping?" he asks, their arms touching as he leans in a little bit closer.

Alex raises an eyebrow. "Did I mention the 'fucking phenomenal' bit?" he asks rhetorically, and pushes the shop's door open for his lover.

Laughing, Luke heads into the store, a slight blush on his cheeks as he nods at the first salesclerk he sees. "The pair in the window, on the far right," he asks, noting appreciatively the way the guy quickly recovers from his shock at seeing (and obviously recognizing) them. "Where would I find those?"

"Ahh, Black Gold, bootcut..." The clerk quickly sizes Luke up with a professional eye, then waves him towards the back. "You'll want to try on these, and these," he says, pulling neatly-folded piles of denim off the shelf and laying them in Luke's arms. "There's the faded finish in addition to the dark distressed wash... And then you definitely want to see how these ones look, with your height," he finishes, and gestures towards a curtained fitting room in the corner. "My name is Spencer and I'll be happy to serve you both in any way possible."

Trying to swallow his smile, Alex stays back a fair distance, hands stuffed carefully in his pockets. The clerk obviously knows his job. And Luke, well, Luke could be a fucking fashion model, so why wouldn't the guy be excited to get his hands on him? And just so long as that admiring tone remains professional, then Alex is all for it.

"Thanks. I'll be out in a minute," Luke tells Alex, stepping into the fitting room and pulling the curtain. He drops the pants he's already wearing, hanging them over a hook and pulls on the first pair in the pile -- the dark distressed wash. Spencer certainly knows his stuff. They fit perfectly. He checks his ass in the mirror and grins, pulling open the curtain again and taking a few steps out. "What do you think?" he asks Alex.

Alex straightens up from where he's been leaning against a display, and he clenches his fists inside his pockets as a reminder to himself not to touch. Resisting the urge to tell Luke to twirl for him, he slowly circles his lover. "Fits your ass perfectly," he murmurs, not caring one bit whether the attentive clerk overhears him. "But are they supposed to be saggy like that right at the top of the thighs?"

"That's the design, yes," Spencer cuts in, coming to stand at Luke's other side. "Otherwise he'd have a tough go of walking or sitting."

"Oh." Alex nods, then shrugs. "Are they comfortable?" he asks his lover.

Luke nods. "They're really good," he says, watching Alex with a small smile, his heart giving a hard thump at how unbelievably gorgeous he looks standing there. "Um. Should I try on another pair?"

"If you want, yeah. Maybe with some shirts..." Alex glances around the shop and Spencer, ever alert, takes off in an instant to start pulling more selections. Alex takes advantage of the brief moment of privacy to ask Luke, "What about me? You're better at this than I am. Want me to try anything on for you?"

"You'd let me dress you?" Luke doesn't even give Alex time to answer before he's heading for the wall with the jeans. "These and these," he says, pulling one pair of dark wash and one pair of faded buttersoft blue jeans. "And these," he says with a grin, handing Alex a couple of t-shirts -- one v-neck in a gorgeous blue and a modified henley in a deep purple.

Chuckling, Alex shakes his head and takes what he's given. He looks closely at one of the pairs of jeans, noting that it's clearly intended to be worn without a belt. "I don't know," he murmurs to Luke, "am I wearing clean underwear today?"

That's right. God. Luke blushes hard, but he's smiling. "And these," he adds, plucking a pair of boxer briefs from the nearest rack and pressing them to Alex's chest. "Which we're definitely taking."

"I think you just like the idea of taking them off," Alex murmurs with a smile. He looks up as the clerk comes back with a variety of shirts for Luke to try on, then takes the empty curtained dressing room next to Luke's own. When he gets the first pair of jeans on, he snorts a laugh: they're much tighter than anything he'd buy for himself. The shirt also clings, and he raises an eyebrow at his reflection before pushing the curtain aside to go show his lover.

Luke lets out a low whistle at the sight of his sir. "You look incredible," he says, now dressed in a dark green shirt and a pair of faded jeans, tighter than the last ones he had on. "How do you feel?" Completely ignoring Spencer for now.

"Like... Jason Stackhouse," Alex jokes, thinking of all the times they've teased their 'Jason' on set about how snug his wardrobe inevitably is. His eyes travel slowly up the length of Luke's body to his face. "Usually I only ever wear leather this tight."

Leather. Luke fights back a squirm at the thought. "Well, you look really hot. Do you think you'd be comfortable wearing those?" he says softly, well aware of Spencer right there, undoubtedly trying to listen in.

"Occasionally," Alex allows, grinning slightly. _For you_. "Do you still want me to try on the others, or should I just go with these? And what about you?" he asks. "Did you find anything you love?"

"Yes, I still want you to try on the other one, and that depends. What do you think of this outfit?" Luke asks, turning for Alex and winking over his shoulder.

Alex folds his arms across his chest and blatantly checks out his boy. "I think it needs to come off," he says with a grin to match Luke's flirtatious attitude. Spencer is openly staring at them now, and Alex couldn't care less.

Luke laughs. "Now, or whenever I wear it?"

"You know me. I think now is always the best time for you to get naked. But Spencer might disagree," Alex says, turning to raise an eyebrow at the clerk, who at least has the good grace to blush and look away -- for a moment anyway. "So I'll just go try on that other outfit you chose." He flashes a grin at Luke and steps back into his dressing room, pulling the curtain shut.

A whole group of young men come into the store and Luke nods for Spencer to go help them before slipping into Alex's fitting room, the curtain held firmly closed behind him. "Hi."

Alex has just pulled the stretchy long-sleeved t-shirt off over his head when Luke steps in, and he turns to blink at his lover in surprise. 'Surprise' would be an understatement, really, but he's happy to roll with it. "Hey," he says, setting the shirt on the bench. Then he lays his hands on the waistband of the jeans he's wearing, the ones he's still not totally sold on. "Did you come to help me peel these off?"

"Maybe," Luke says, checking that the curtain stays closed when he steps further into the fitting room and boldly cups Alex's cock through his jeans, thumb reaching to stroke over the head. "Do you need my help?"

"Always," Alex murmurs, one eyebrow raised high. The shocks just keep on coming. "They're so tight, I don't know if I can even get fully hard while I'm wearing them," he says quietly, slipping one hand over Luke's throat and threading fingers into his hair.

His own cock throbbing at Alex's touch, Luke unzips the jeans, pushing open the flaps, and slides two fingers inside, stroking over the crown through the boxer briefs. "I see what you mean," he say softly, swallowing hard, unsure of just how far to take it, every sense attuned to Alex's reactions.

"Of course, now I won't be able to try those other ones on, and you did say you wanted to see me in them." Alex's cock swells full in an instant under Luke's expert caress. He glances aside at the curtain separating them from the rest of the shop, notes the hubbub of voices over the trendy store music, checks how much clearance there is between the bottom of the curtain and the floor. And he lays his hands on Luke's shoulders, gently pushing his lover to his knees.

Moaning softly, Luke goes down easily. He tugs the jeans open further, pushing the underwear out of the way and freeing Alex's cock - well, most of it. He licks at the head, eyes locked on his lover, tongue swirling around the head for a moment before he takes it into his mouth, deep and then deeper with a slight graze of teeth.

"Fuck, yes," Alex breathes, entranced by the sight. It hasn't lost its impact yet: Luke on his knees, mouth wrapped around his sir's cock, stunning blue eyes looking up to meet Alex's. Fucking gorgeous. "Good boy," Alex whispers, petting Luke's hair, content to let Luke take things as he wants for the moment.

Luke licks and sucks at the crown, tongue teasing into the slit, buoyed by the praise. And at first he can't help but be wary of any noise outside the curtains but he knows he has to trust his sir to keep them both safe and he refocuses completely on his task, taking Alex deep into his throat, his head bobbing as takes him in again and again. Intent on nothing but his sir's pleasure.

 _Oh Jesus Christ yes_. Alex tangles his fingers tightly in Luke's hair and shuts his eyes, beginning to pump his hips, pushing deep inside. These are stolen seconds, he knows, but he's making the most of every single one. Yanking Luke's head back, he holds his boy in place and - teeth gritted against any escaping sound - Alex empties himself into his lover's throat.

Choking softly, Luke stays right where he is, mouth open, head back, taking every last drop, until Alex is finished. His cock throbs with his own arousal but he pushes the need aside. There's no time for that here and besides, there's something weirdly right about satisfying Alex without getting to come himself.

Loosening his hold, Alex looks down at his boy, petting Luke's hair with a smile. "I think we might just be wearing out our welcome here," he says softly, his grin twinkling. He nods towards the adjacent fitting room. "Go decide on what you want and meet me at the cash register."

"What did you like better?" Luke asks, rising a little unsteadily to his feet. Wondering if he'll be able to keep from giving them away completely when he steps out. "This outfit or the last?"

"Hmm." Alex closes the distance between them and slides his hands down to cup Luke's ass. He squeezes firmly, even as he licks the last few traces of his seed from his boy's lips. "I like this one."

"Then this one it is," Luke breathes, his cock twitching eagerly. "I'll meet you at the back."

"Good boy." Alex swats Luke's ass lightly, careful that it's not loud enough to be overheard. As Luke slips past the curtain, Alex turns to finish undressing, then puts his own clothes back on with a smile. _That's one way to make a sale_ , he thinks, tying up his boots and then gathering the clothing items Luke picked out for him. He trusts his boy’s taste; he'll buy it all.

Spencer's still busy with the group of young men who came in earlier and it's much easier than Luke would have thought to get back to his own fitting room. Smiling to himself, both a little shocked and proud at his audacity, he changes back and carries the outfit Alex chose out over his arm, smiling at his sir as he meets him at the counter. "You're getting both?" he say quietly, smiling, thrilled to see it.

"Absolutely." Alex grins and leans an elbow against the counter. "You're the one with the fashion sense. I'd be a fool to resist." And fuck, Luke looks especially gorgeous right now, the ridge of his erection visible in his jeans if one bothers to look for it; and of course, Alex is looking. He winks at Luke, then nods at Spencer as the man hurries back over to them.

"Leaving so soon?" he asks, a little breathless, and clearly aiming for cheeky.

"I think we got everything we need," Alex tells him, his gaze steady on Spencer's eyes, which has the effect of flustering the man into wordlessness as he begins to ring up their purchases.

"Those are mine," Luke says softly, separating his clothes from the pile and pulling his wallet from his back pocket.

Alex shoots him a look clearly full of _What the fuck?_ but says nothing, just steps to the side to make room for Luke at the small counter. He gives Spencer a smile and slips his credit card back into his own wallet, then takes his bag of purchases. He didn't even try on the other pair of jeans, but hopefully they'll fit.

There's no way Luke could miss that look and he flushes hard, mortified at obviously screwing up so badly. But how was he to know? Flustered, he finishes paying for his clothes and shoves his wallet back into his pocket, his bag looped over his wrist, his cheeks flaming hot as they leave the store. "Sorry," he whispers, when they're outside, away from Spencer and any other prying eyes.

His jaw tight, Alex circles around a couple in the middle of the footpath, waiting for Luke to fall into step with him in the direction they were headed before they stopped to shop. "What was that about?" he asks quietly.

"I didn't want to assume anything," Luke says, biting at his lower lip. "I just thought - I didn't want to just stand there and let him ring everything up and not even make a move to pay."

Stopping short, Alex stares at Luke for a long moment, studying him. "Do I need to remind you that you're mine?"

"No, sir," Luke murmurs, stopping as well. "But we never talked about finances, and I have my own money," he points out softly.

His mouth twitches with frustration, and Alex looks away. "I know you have your own money," he mutters, starting to walk again. And maybe he's just being fucking rude; he can acknowledge that possibility to himself. But Luke's career is on the steepest of upward slopes -- Alex is keenly aware that, while he himself might have been making more money when they first met, Luke is about to start out-earning him in a big way. Any second now.

It unsettles him.

"I'm perfectly capable of providing for you," he says, his voice sharper than he intends it to be.

"I know you are," Luke says, keeping pace with Alex. "That's not what that was about. I told you. I didn't want to assume anything. We never talked about this. I didn't want to stand there _expecting_ you to buy me these things. I didn't want you to think badly of me and now it appears you do anyway."

"No, it's--" Alex cuts off his words, exasperated with himself. "Come here," he says, ducking under a large striped umbrella and choosing a small table at an outdoor cafe. There's no one sitting at any of the tables surrounding theirs, and so he feels like maybe he can actually talk about this here. "It's that..." He sits down and aborts a reach for Luke's hands, instead demurely linking his fingers together. "I want you to expect things of me."

"Okay." Luke nods, watching Alex, his heart beating a little more slowly now that he's sure he hasn't really angered his lover. His sir. "What kind of things?"

"Anything," Alex says simply, shrugging. His face is uncharacteristically flushed, his gaze fixed on his hands, when he continues, "I want to be... everything, to you." He knows how audacious the words sound, but he's trying to be thoroughly honest in an attempt to explain himself fully -- for once. "When you want something... I want you to look to me. And I won't fail you."

"Okay. Thank you," Luke whispers, absorbing the words, the intent behind them. "This means the world to me," he says softly, touching his bracelet. "What it means. Us. I guess I'm still getting used to how it affects everything, not just what we do in the bedroom."

"All right," Alex nods, his agreement just as soft. He looks up at the unexpected arrival of a waiter at their table, and shakes his head, trying to clear it and redirect his attention. "Ah..." he shrugs and holds out his hand to Luke. "Do you want anything?" He still needs a moment to get his mind back together.

"Actually, I'll have a glass of white wine," Luke says, figuring they can both use the break. "And if you can bring us both waters, please?" He gives the waiter a smile and moves his chair a little closer to Alex. "I hope I haven't ruined our day," he says, daring to reach out and touch Alex's knee.

"Fuck, no. How could you?" Alex is a bit bemused that Luke could even think that. "I'm out spending the day with my gorgeous boy, who I happen to be madly in love with," he murmurs, folding his arms on the table and leaning in close. "It'd be pretty hard to ruin that for me." He can only hope that Luke feels the same way; God knows, Alex is well aware he can be a real pain to put up with.

Relieved, Luke gives Alex a smile, wishing -- not for the first time -- he could kiss him, out here in public like any other couple. "Good. I'm glad. I was a little worried," he says. "You're very intimidating sometimes."

"Sorry," Alex mutters, a little sheepish. "I don't mean to be. I mean I _do_ , sometimes, obviously, but not just in general. With you, anyway." He meets Luke's eyes again. "You put up with me."

"There's nothing to put up with," Luke says, thanking the waiter for his wine and smiling as he sets two waters down in front of them. "But I _am_ still learning you," he adds when the man's gone.

Alex really hasn't thought about it in those terms. "Is that hard?" he asks, unscrewing the cap from his water bottle.

"A little," Luke admits. "You're not exactly forthcoming," he says. "Other than warning me that you're moody and mercurial," he adds with a grin. "But it's figuring out what makes you that way -- whether it's just the way you're feeling or if there's something I've done."

Taking a sip of cold water, Alex muses over that. "What could you possibly do?" he asks finally, smiling a little. "I mean, you're one of the nicest people I've ever met. Fuck knows why," he adds reflectively.

"Why I'm one of the nicest people, or why I'm nice to you?" Luke asks, obviously teasing, his eyes twinkling.

Alex laughs aloud. "Both." He leans back in his chair, stretching his legs out under the table and crossing them at the ankle. "You know you can ask me anything you want, anytime. Right?"

"I know you've said that," Luke says. "And I trust that I could, if it was important to me, but I also feel kind of shy around you - that intimidating thing I mentioned? Sometimes I feel like there are these landmines surrounding you and that I might step on one and blow everything up but I don't know if that's just me, because it would matter so much to me if I did, or if they're really there."

It's weird, Alex decides, to hear himself psychoanalyzed like this -- however tentatively. He's trying to put his finger on exactly what about Luke's words bothers him the most. Maybe it's that he expects Luke to hold him accountable for his actions? More accountable? Hearing that Luke fears things between them could be destroyed so easily, such a lack of give-and-take... it makes Alex nervous. "If our relationship is really that fragile, then it's not really worth it, right?" he asks softly. He sits up straight in his chair again, rubbing a hand over his eyes. Fuck, it's scaring the shit out of him to even be talking like this. "I mean, if I could take everything that you give me and then just... do that. Then I'm not very good for you."

"That's not what I said," Luke says, setting his wine back down. "You said I could ask you anything. Well, that goes for talking with you too. I should be able to tell you how I'm feeling, my fears and my doubts, without you immediately assuming that I don't trust you or that our relationship isn't strong enough. Maybe I just need to be reassured sometimes. Maybe I'm just feeling vulnerable after fucking up in the shop."

"I hate it when you talk about yourself fucking up," Alex mutters. "It's not like that. Fucking up would be... I don't know." Cheating. Cheating and lying about it. Alex sighs, hunching forward to keep things private between them, and loosely clasping his hands between his knees. "Look, I'll reassure you all that you want," he says softly, looking up to meet his lover's eyes. "You're remarkable, and I love you, and I want to be with you. And... if I do or say something really fucking stupid, I need you to tell me."

"I will," Luke says, leaning forward as well. "And maybe fucking up is the wrong phrase to use. I just hate the idea of you being angry with me. It freaks me out. Not because I really think we're going to break up over something so small but because I don't want to disappoint you. And that's my issue, not yours. It's not anything you're doing or not doing. It's just me having to get it through my head that this is good and real and it's not going anywhere, because, in case you hadn't noticed, I am so head over heels in love with you it's not even funny. And sometimes that scares the hell out of me."

"It scares me too." Alex frowns down at the tabletop. "Because I know that, you know, whatever we say, you don't actually need me." Which is why Alex is so desperate to bind Luke to himself in some way, however small, however much he knows it to be a mind game he's just playing with himself. But the fact is... no, there's nothing he's got that Luke needs -- not money, or opportunity, or... anything, really. He's only got himself to offer.

"What do you mean?" Luke asks, stunned, his heart starting to race again.

Alex quirks a brow and looks up at his lover in question. "I'm not delusional, Luke," he says with a soft snort. "If you wake up tomorrow and never see me again, you'll survive just fucking fine, I know that." Okay, maybe Alex is getting a little maudlin. But the awareness of how soon he'll be leaving again, how long the two of them will be separated by an ocean... it's getting to him. "I mean, all this... all this shit that people do together, it's just to make themselves feel more safe and secure about their places in the universe, you know? Just... just trying to make themselves feel a bit less fucking lost and lonely."

Luke frowns. "I might survive but I wouldn't be fine," he says. "Not even close. I don't get it. Where did all this come from?"

Looking down at his hands, Alex shakes his head. "I don't know," he lies. "Don't fucking listen to me when I get like this." He picks up his water bottle and knocks back a large swallow, trying to get his shit back together. "I just... I don't want to leave," he admits, looking up to meet Luke's eyes again. "Me in L.A., you here... I'm... I'm not going to like that."

"Me neither," Luke says, shifting his chair closer again, to hell with what anyone else thinks, their knees touching. "But I'll fly back to L.A. every chance I get and we can phone and text and skype. With both of us working, I bet it'll pass much quicker than we think." Or so he wants to believe.

 _But then what?_ Alex thinks. He reaches under the table and links his fingers with Luke's, briefly squeezing his lover's hand before letting go. He can't control this. Can't control the future -- not the next few months, and certainly not that day in May when Luke's six-month contract with him will come up for renewal. Maybe they should postpone their arrangement, until some indefinite point when they won't simultaneously be working... _Fuck_. "Okay," Alex says quietly, and pulls his wallet from his back pocket. "Let's get out of here, yeah?"

"Okay." Luke nods, finishing his wine. "What did you and Kate do?" he asks when they're both standing. "Or were you always in the same city?"

The question catches Alex completely off-guard, and he blinks. "Um. No." He shakes his head and picks up their shopping bags. "We lived together when we were both in Los Angeles, but we were apart a lot of the time because of work." He frowns, wanting to swallow his next words, but they're too fucking bitter. "She said that was... it was a big reason why. Because I wasn't always there to give her attention when she wanted it. But he was."

What a bitch, Luke thinks, but he doesn't say it. It's never a good idea to badmouth a lover's ex. "Well, I'm not that high-maintenance," he says, giving Alex a smile. "You're the only one I want and I'll do whatever it takes to make it work."

They step back onto the footpath and Alex narrows his eyes, looking at Luke sidelong. "Don't make me kiss you in the middle of the street."

Luke laughs. "Someday I'll insist on it, but not until you're ready."

Alex grins, loving the way Luke's smile lights up his whole face. "Where to next?" he asks, glancing at his watch. He feels so drained after their intense conversation, but realizes they've only been out for a few hours.

"I should get something for my mum," Luke says. "There's a place around the corner with skin creams and sweaters and stuff. Do you want to look for something for your mum too?"

"I'll see if anything catches my eye," Alex replies with a shrug. "Can we make a deal, though?"

"What?"

"After we find something good for your mom, can we go back to the motel?" Alex leans in a little closer and murmurs, "I need to be inside you."

His knees going weak in an instant, it's a miracle Luke stays on his feet. God. "We can go back now," he says, his jeans suddenly way too tight. "I can find her something another time." Besides, it's not like he hasn't already sent her lots of little packages.

"Are you sure? I don't want to interfere..." Alex _loves_ to interfere.

Luke gives him a look. "Sir..."

Alex grins. "Then let's go."  



End file.
